Car roof



May 20, 1941.

G. TORBURN CAR ROOF I Filed May 24, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 /A/ new 7'0 2 H96 177' ram Ens.

W 1941 s. P. TORBURN 2,766

' on ROOF Filed May 24, 19 9 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 20, 1941 CAB. ROOF Gustav P. Torburn, Oakland, Calii'., assignor to Standard Railway Equipment Manufacturing Compa y, New Kensington, Pa., a corporation,

of Delaware Application May 24, 1939, Serial No. 275,336

9 Claims.

My invention relates to car roofs, and more particularly to the eaves constructions of metal car roofs of the type wherein the root sheets are rigidly connected by seams that function as outside carlines. The principal objects of the present invention are to devise an eaves construction which will afford maximum inside headroom and capacity for the car and which will be strong, light, simple and economical.

The invention consists in the improved eaves construction and in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification and wherein like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a car roof embodying my invention,

Figs. 2 and 3 are vertical longitudinal sections through the roof on the lines 2! and 3-3, respectively, in Fig. 1,

Figs. 4 and 5 are vertical transverse sections through one-half of the roof on the lines 44 and 5-5, respectively, in Fig. 1,

Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical cross-section similar to Fig. 5 through the eaves portion of the car; and

Figs. 7 and 8 are fragmentary sections on the lines 7-1 and M, respectively, in Fig. 6.

The construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings comprises metal side plates A, which connect the tops of the side posts of the side wall trusses and constitute the main top chord members of said trusses, metal eaves sheets B rigidly secured to said side plates and metal roof sheets 0 extending from eaves sheet to eaves sheet and rigidly secured together and to said eaves sheets. Preferably the middle portions of the roof sheets are formed with raised flattopped ribs I, forming a longitudinal series of alternating upper and lower panels, said ribs being of maximum depth at the ridge and decreasing in height until they merge into the plane of the lower panels at the inner edges of the eaves sheets. These roof ribs are preferably provided with central channels or depressions 2 whose bottoms are located in the plane of the lower panels at the outer ends of said ribs and incline upwardly and merge into the tops of the ribs at a distance from the ridge. Thus, said ribs are substantially H-shaped in plan view.

The side marginal portions of the sheets are preferably formed into raised panels 3 that terminate in upstanding seam flanges. These side marginal panels and flanges, like the roof ribs i, also terminate short or the eaves ends of the roof sheets, the panels terminating preferably at the inner edges of the eaves sheet and the seam flanges terminating some distance outwardly beyond the ends of said panels in overlapping relation to the inner marginal portions of said eaves sheets. The upstanding'flanges of adjacent roof sheets are rigidly secured together preferably by seam caps 4 that cooperate with said flanges so as together to function after the manner of outside carlines. The seam caps are secured to the seam flanges straddled thereby preferably by horizontal rivets 5 andhave outstanding base flanges .6 that seat upon the raised side marginal panels 3 of the roof sheets. Said seam caps are of substantially uniform depth from the ridge to points located somewhat inwardly of the eaves sheets from which points the tops of the upstanding rib portions of said caps are curved downwardly over the ends of the seam flanges straddled thereby and said rib portions merge into the base flanges of said caps short of the eaves ends of said base flanges.

The caves sheets B extend longitudinally of the side plates A and have depending lower marginal portions rigidly secured flatwise to the outer faces thereof preferably by horizontal rivets I; and the remaining portions of said eaves sheets are curved upwardly and inwardly over the tops of said side plates with their inner margins spaced above and preferably terminating inwardly thereof. The caves ends of the root sheets and seam caps overlap and are supported on the upper marginal portions of the upwardly and inwardly curved eaves sheets and are curved in conformity therewith and rigidly secured thereto preferably by means of rivets 8.

The eavessheets B are braced and strengthened above the side plates by means of upstanding brackets 9 that flt the angles between the curved portions of said eaves sheets and the tops of said side plates, and are curved to lit the curved upper portions of said eaves sheets. These eaves sheet supporting brackets or knee braces are preferably located beneath the eaves ends of the seam caps 4 and are preferably in the form of outwardly opening upright channels with their webs iii in flush vertical alinement with the-inner sides of the side plates and with outstanding. flanges II at the outer edge of their side walls that are curved "in conformity with the eaves sheets. The rivets 8' that secure the eaves ends of the roof sheets and seam cap flanges together and to the eaves sheets also serve to secure said eaves sheets to the outstanding flanges H of the supporting brackets therefor. The brackets have outstanding flanges it at the base of their side walls that seat upon and are rigidly secured flatwise to the top of the side plates preferably by means of rivets i3.

By the arrangement described, the eaves sheets cooperate with the side plates so as together to function as the top chords of the side wall trusses of the car; and they also form strong and durable rounded eaves constructions which rigidly support the roof sheets at a considerable distance above the side plates and thus increase the inside headroom and capacity of the car. The inwardly and upwardly curved roof sheet supporting portions of the eaves sheets are strengthened and stiffened by the brackets; and these brackets are located beneath and are rigidly secured to the eaves ends of the seam caps or carlines so as to constitute: end members thereof for transmitting the vertical load to the. side plates and resisting weaving of the car. The inner faces of the brackets terminate in flush vertical alinement with the inner faces of the side plates so that the inside side lining ll of the car can be extended above said side plates in a straight vertical line clear to the roof. The eaves sheets may be made considerably thicker than the roof sheets to meet the strength requirements at the eaves.

What I claim is:

1. A car roof construction comprising eaves sheets secured to the outer faces of the car side frames and curved inwardly and upwardly over and spaced above the tops of said side frames, and roof sheets spanning from eaves sheet to eaves sheet with their eaves end portions sustained by, curved in conformity with and riveted to the curved portions of said eaves sheets, said roof sheets having upstanding flanges along their adjacent side margins that are rigidly secured together to function as outside carlines with their end portions terminating outwardly of the inner margins of said curved portions of said eaves sheets and inwardly of the outer faces of said side frames, and inside linings for said side frames extending above the tops of said side frames to the overhanging portion of said eaves sheets to close the vertical spaces therebetween.

2. A car roof construction comprising eaves sheets secured to the outer faces of the car side frames and curved inwardly and upwardly over and spaced above the tops of said side frames, roof sheets spanning from eaves sheet to eaves sheet with their eaves end portions supported on, curved in conformity with and riveted to the curved portions of said eaves sheets, said roof sheets having upstanding seam flanges along their adjacent side margins whose end portions overlap the inner margins of said eaves sheets, seam caps rigidly securing said flanges together and having their end portions riveted directly to said curved portions of said eaves plates outwardly of the eaves ends of said roof sheets and inwardly of the outer faces of said side frames, and inside side linings for said side frames extending clear to the undersides of the portions of the eaves sheets spaced thereabove.

3. A car comprising side wall trusses including side plates constituting the top chord members of said trusses, eaves sheets rigidly secured to the outer faces of said side plates and extending inwardly and upwardly in a single curve over i and spaced above said side plates, roof sheets spanning from eaves sheet to eaves sheet beyond the upper inner edges thereof and with their eaves end portions conforming to the curvature of and rigidly secured to the upper margins of said eaves sheets outwardly beyond the inner faces of said trusses, and brackets seated on and sustained entirely by said side plates and fitting within the angles between said eaves sheets and the tops of said side plates and rigidly secured to said eaves sheets and said side plates.

4. A car comprising side wall trusses including side plates constituting the top chord members of said trusses, eaves sheets rigidly secured to the outer faces of said side plates and curved inwardly and upwardly over and spaced above said side plates, roof sheets spanning from eaves sheet to eaves sheet with their eaves end portions curved in conformity with, supported on and rigidly secured to the upper margins of said eaves sheets, brackets seated on and sustained entirely by said side plates and fitting within the angles between said eaves sheets and the tops of said side plates and rigidly secured to said eaves sheets and said side plates, and inside side linings for said side wall trusses extending above said side plates and closing the vertical spaces between the inner edges of said side plates and eaves sheets, the inner faces of said brackets being disposed substantially flush with the inner edges of said side plates and constituting side plates constituting the top chord members of said trusses, eaves sheets rigidly secured to the outer faces of said side plates and extending inwardly and upwardly in a single curve over and spaced above said side plates, roof sheets spanning from eaves sheet to eaves sheet with their eaves end portions curved in conformity with and supported on and rigidly secured flatwise to the upper margins of said eaves sheets, brackets seated on and sustained entirely by said side plates and fitting within the angles between the curved portions of said eaves sheets and the tops of said side plates and rigidly secured to said eaves sheets and said side plates, said brackets comprising outwardly opening channels disposed vertically and substantially flush with the inner edges of said side plates and having outstanding flanges at the outer edges of their side walls conforming to and in continuous contact with said curved portions of said eaves sheets.

6. A car roof construction comprising side plates, eaves sheets extending longitudinally of and rigidly secured to the outer faces of said side plates and curved inwardly and upwardly over and spaced above said side plates, roof sheets spanning from eaves sheet to eaves sheet with their eaves ends rigidly secured thereto, seam caps rigidly connecting the adjacent margins of said roof sheets with their eaves end portions extending beyond the eaves ends of said roof sheets and rigidly secured directly to said eaves sheets, and brackets seated on said side plates directly below said seam caps and fitting within the angles formed by the curved portions of said eaves sheets and the tops of said side plates and rigidly secured thereto.

7. A car roof construction comprising side plates, eaves sheets rigidly secured to the outer faces of said side plates and curved inwardly and upwardly over and spaced above said side plates, brackets seated on and sustained entirely by said side plates and located in the angles formed by the curved portions of said eaves sheets and the tops of said side plates and rigidly secured thereto, roof sheets spanning from eaves sheet to eaves sheet with their eaves ends rigidly secured thereto, and seam caps rigidly connecting the adjacent margins of said roof sheets with their eaves end portions extending beyond the eaves portions of said roof sheets and rigidly secured directly to said eaves sheets, said brackto eaves sheet with their eaves ends supported thereon, seam caps rigidly connecting the adjacent margins of said sheets, said brackets being located directly beneath the ends of said seam caps substantially flush with the .inner edges of said side plates, rivets securing said eaves sheets, roof sheets and seam caps to said brackets, and inside side linings extending above the level of said side plates and closing the space between the tops thereof and the portions of the eaves plates spaced thereabove.

9. A car roof construction comprising side plates, eaves sheets rigidly secured to the outer faces of said side plates and curved inwardly and upwardly over and spaced above said side plates, brackets seated on and sustained entirely by said side plates and located in the angles formed by the curved portions of said eaves sheets and the tops of said side plates and rigidly secured thereto, roof sheets spanning from eaves sheet to eaves sheet with their eaves ends rigidly secured thereto, and seam caps rigidly connecting the adjacent margins of said roof sheets with their eaves end portions rigidly secured directly to said eaves sheets and to said brackets, said brackets being located directly beneath the ends of said seam caps.

GUSTAV P. TORBURN. 

